Lay Carmelites

What is a Lay Carmelite?

We are ordinary Christians, men and women who have discerned a call from Our Lord to follow Him in a rule of life which will lead to a deeper, more personal relationship with Him.  We, as Carmelites, try to respond to that Call as Mary: She put her faith in God’s call and responded by offering herself totally to His service: “I am the servant of the Lord!”

We are called to live a holy life according to the Rule of Carmel and to live out this consecration in the world amidst our daily activities.

As our document states: While Mary lived on this earth a life common to all, filled with family cares and work, she was always intimately united with her Son and cooperated in the work of the Savior.

In the family, in work or professional surroundings, in their social responsibilities, in everyday actions, in their relations with others, Lay Carmelites look for the hidden hand of God.  They recognize this hand of God and they help the seed of salvation bloom according to the spirit of the Beatitudes by a humble and continual exercise of the virtues.

Our document goes on to describe Carmel’s gift to the Church: A life committed to prayer “in all its forms”.

The entire Carmelite family, in its task of living out is consecration to Christ, seeks to live in the Presence of the living and true God, who in the person of Christ, lives in our midst; it is a family that seeks divine intimacy.

In reaching this goal by following its charism, it is inspired by the figures of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of the Prophet Elijah.

Lay Carmelites, imbued with the spirit of the Order, try to live its charism in a silent listening to the Word, making their whole life a prayer by allowing themselves to be caught up by the Spirit for the wonderful works that God accomplishes, and which require their commitment and worthwhile contribution.

Lay Carmelites, according to the constant tradition of Carmel, are to cultivate in the greatest degree possible prayer in all its forms: mental prayer and aspirational prayer as well as the traditional practices.  Above all, they should learn from the Virgin how to praise the Lord and rejoice in God their Savior in their ordinary daily lives.

With such a tall order, we realize that only with the Holy Spirit can we fulfill our role in the Body of Christ and in the world.  Our document does not specify any particular type of work to be done.  Our primary ministry is to be the Church at prayer.  Good works and a loving community spirit will flow from our prayer life as the Spirit leads us.

The Brown Scapular

The Brown Scapular is our religious habit.  It is our sign of consecration to Our Lady and her way of life.  Through it we enter into a covenant of love and trust with her. 

The Scapular finds its roots in the tradition of the Order, which has seen in it a sign of Mary’s motherly protection.  It has, therefore, a centuries old spiritual meaning approved by the Church.

·     It stands for a commitment to follow Jesus, like Mary, the perfect model of all the disciples of Christ.  This commitment finds its origin in baptism by which we become children of God.

·     It leads us into the community of religious men and women, which has existed in the Church for over eight centuries.

·     It reminds us of the example of the saints of Carmel, with whom we establish a close bond as brothers and sisters to one another.

·     It is an expression of our belief that we will meet God in eternal life aided by the intercession and prayer of Mary.

·     It is a sign of Mary’s protection and of belonging to the family of Carmel, voluntarily doing the will of God.

What is expected of a Lay Carmelite?

The Lay Carmelite is expected to spend about one-half hour daily in reflective prayer.  This may take various forms:

¨     Meditation on the Scripture

¨     Praying the Liturgy of the Hours

¨     Reading spiritual classics, especially those of the Carmelite Tradition

¨     Studying the writings of Vatican II and the present day encyclicals by our Holy Father.

In order to try to live out the spirit of Carmel and develop our charisms to their best, the following practices are recommended:

¨     To attend the monthly Carmel community meetings.

¨     To wear the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel as a sign of our consecration to her.

¨     To participate in the Liturgy daily if possible and make frequent visits to the Blessed Sacrament as possible.

¨     Beginners meet with an instructor for the first year before being received into the Order; after that, a two-year period of teaching and spiritual training are required before one can be Professed.

After having been Professed for at least three years, one may choose to further consecrate oneself with vows of obedience and chastity according to one’s state in life.

Contact Person is Elaine Umstead.

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